Well, that was way more excited than I thought it was going to be. Ivan Nova and the defense struggled today, and Shane Bieber was effectively wild on the other side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Sox mounted a late rally, but Oscar Mercado made a saving catch for not only this game, but possibly the Indians’ season. This was actually a very fun game.
W: Shane Bieber (13-7) | L: Ivan Nova (9-12) | S: Nick Wittgren (4)
The Good
- Tim Anderson: 3-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
- Eloy Jimenez: 2-for-4, R
- Zack Collins: 1-for-2, 1B, RBI, BB, K
- Jose Abreu: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI
The Bad
- Ivan Nova: 4.1 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- Daniel Palka: 0-for-3, 2 K
Moment of the Game
110 MPH off the bat, but a more incredible play on the other side of the ball. Well played, Oscar Mercado. Playing like the season depends on it.
Stats On 35th: Let’s Break this One Down by the Numbers
Tonight’s Numbers:
12.4/-33.9, 1, 400, 6, 0.010
12.4/-33.9
Tonight’s MVP and LVP, in terms of Win Probability Added (WPA) are Zack Collins (12.4%) and Ivan Nova (-33.9%). Zack Collins had the big hit early in the game, and RBI-single to keep the White Sox in the game. On the other hand, Ivan Nova struggled all day, and while the defense didn’t help him, neither did 14 hard-hit balls put in play against him.
1
With his ninth inning at-bat, Danny Mendick recorded his first career at-bat in the major leagues. Though he did strike out against Brad Hand, I’m sure it was an incredible moment for the 22nd round draft pick. Sadly, it was also a forgotten moment in what was a crazy ninth inning.
400
With his 8th inning home run, Jose Abreu reached the 400 extra-base hit mark for his career. The breakdown: 212 doubles, 13 triples, and 175 home runs.
6
After another multi-hit performance tonight, Eloy Jimenez now has two or more hits in six of his last seven games. This is a nice turnaround for the young slugger as we approach the end of the season.
0.010
Due to some poor defense by the White Sox, Ivan Nova had to work a little bit harder than he would’ve liked. This included pitching around a hit by Roberto Perez that had an expected batting average (xBA) of 0.010. This is the only thing lower than Daniel Palka’s batting average this season, which sits at 0.019.
The Game Ahead: Win the Rubber Match
Reynaldo Lopez (8-12, 5.41 ERA) vs. Zac Plesac (7-5, 3.61 ERA), 12:10 PM CT
Player of the Game
Heck of a game. Wish we could’ve had a clear winner, but we don’t. Make sure to still vote!
